Overview
- Researchers at Tokyo University of Science isolated furtivovirus from fresh river samples in Kamakura and published their findings in the Journal of Virology that was posted online on May 14, 2026.
- Genomic sequencing shows furtivovirus carries roughly 560,000 base pairs and electron microscopy reports particle diameter near 200 nanometers, placing it among smaller giant viruses.
- The virus depends on the host nucleus but breaks down the nuclear membrane and builds new virions in the nucleoplasm, a replication mode distinct from medusaviruses and ushikuvirus.
- Based on comparative genomics the authors propose a new family, Manesviridae, for furtivovirus and close relatives, but that taxonomic change is an author proposal pending community and formal review.
- The study used amoeba culture, microscopy and genome analysis to map diverse nucleus-interaction strategies and may shift how scientists trace giant-virus diversity and their possible influence on eukaryotic evolution.